Internal combustion engine



- June 30, 1931. D. A. DAVISON ET AL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 10, 1929 J1me 1931- D. A. DAVISON ET AL 1,812,323

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DORSET'I A. DAVISON AND GEORGE E.

IPORATION OF VIRGINIA DAVISON, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, A COR- INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed June 10, 1929. Serial No. 369,804.

Our invention relates to internal combustion engines, and our general purpose is to provide improved means for conducting gases to and from the cylinder or cylinders of such engines.

More particularly, our invention relates to internal combustion engines of the type in which rotary valves are employed for conducting gases to and from the cylinders thereof, and our more specific purpose is to provide various improvements in the manner of mounting, sealing, lubricating and cooling such valves, whereby they are rendered thoroughly practical and highly eflicientin use.

Our inventive ideas are capable of embodiment in different mechanical structures, certain of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood, however, that the structures shown are intended merely as disclosures of the essential features and novel characteristics of our invention in certain practical forms, and that not only are the structures shown capable of modification in various respects, but that our ideas in general are capable of inclusion, either singly or collectively, in other structural arrangements, within the spirit and scope of our invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in related views Figure 1 is a cross section of an internal combustion engine having our improvements embodied therein; said section being taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure .3 is a side elevation of the valve and its driving sleeve.

Figure 4 is a side elevation ofthe port bushing.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the sealing rings; and

Figure 6 is a cross section of the sealing ring shown in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be observed that the present engine, in general construction, is of conventional design, including, as usual, a cylinder 10, water on the jacketed as indicated at 12, a cylinder head 14, and a piston 16.

In accordance with our improvements the cylinder 10 is counterbored at its outer end as indicated at 18, and disposed within said counterbore is a port bushing 20, provided with circumferentially spaced intake and exhaust ports 22 and 24, respectively, which are disposed in alinement with complemental laterally extending intake and exhaust ports 26 and 28 formed in the cylinder 10.

The inner end of the cylinder 10 also is counterbored as indicated at 30, and opening into one side of this counterbore is a pinion housing 32, within which is disposed a spiral pinion 34 adapted to be driven in any suitable manner from the crank shaft of the engine.

Disposed within the cylinder 10 is a sleeve 36 which extends at its outer end into the port bushing 20 and which is provided, near its inner end, with a spiral gear 38 in mesh with the pinion 34, whereby, during operation of the engine, said sleeve is rotated within the cylinder 10.

Near its outer end, the sleeve 36 is provided with a port 40 which is adapted, by rotation of the sleeve, with the intake and exhaust ports 22 and 24 in the port bushing 20.

At the advance end of the port 40, as regards the direction of rotation of the sleeve 36, the latter is longitudinally split by a kerf 42 which extends inwardly a short distance beyond the port 40 and at its inner end joins one end of a kerf 44 which extends from the kerf 42 circumferentially of the sleeve, in the direction of rotation thereof, any suitable distance partly therearound. The valve thus formed at the outer end of the sleeve 36 consists of a lead end portion in the vicinity of to aline successively the port 40 rigid with the sleeve, and a tralling end portion which is laterally flexible,

this construction assuring tight seating of the valve at all times, against the inner face of the port bushing 20 and providing for free and easy rotation of the sleeve and valve.

The valve portion of the sleeve 36, that is, the portion disposed outwardly of the line a in Fig. 3 of the drawings, preferably is of slightly greater external diameter than the lateral movement but also thrust thereof is taken by body portion of the sleeve, a slight clearance space 6 portion of the sleeve and for the accommodation of oil, this space 7) being coextensive in length with the distance between the counterbores 18 and 30.

Outwardly of the gear 38 the sleeve 36 is formed with an annular boss 46 which fits loosely within the counterbore 30, a wear ring or rings 48 being arranged between the outer end face of this boss and the shoulder formed by the counterbore 30 to take any outward end thrust of the sleeve during operation of the engine. i

The gear 38 maybe formed either integrally with the sleeve 36' or as an element thereby to provide between the body the cylinder wall separate from said sleeve and secured thereto in any desired manner. In either event it is proposed to place a wear ring or rings 50 against the inner end of said gear and to support said ring or rings by the outer end of a bearing member 52 which is bolted to the.

cylinder casting and which forms a ournal sleeve 36, supporting the same for rotation lateral movement thereof.

Thus, the sleeve is held by said member 52 not only against against inward any inward end longitudinal movement, and

said member 52 through the ring or rings 50.

The cylinder head 14 is inclusive of an outer portion neatly fitting into the counterbore 18, and an inner reduced portion neatly fitting into the outer end or valve portion of the sleeve 36, the said valve portion of said sleeve thus being confined between the inner reduced portion of the cylinder head and the inner face of the port bushing 20 which constitutes the valve seat.

Formed in the cylinder head 14 is acbmbustion chamber 54 which opens into the sleeve 36 and which is inclusive of laterally extending intake and exhaust ports 56 and 58, respectively,'disposed in alinement with the bushing ports 22 and 24.

The inner, reduced portion 'of the cylinder head extends into the sleeve 36 a short distance inwardly of the kerf 44 and has formed in the outside face thereof an annular groove in which is disposed a series of sealing rings 60, preferably three in number, of the expansion type. One of these rings, the middle ring in the present instance, spans the kerf 44 while the others, the two outer rings in this instance, bear against the inner face of the valve portion of the sleeve to either side of said kerf, said rings being disposed with their adjacent end faces in contact with one another. p Also formed in the outside face of the reduced inner portion of the cylinder head is a second annular groove in which is disposed one or more sealing rings of the expansion type indicated at 62, this ring or rings sealand preventing any.

i-ng against the inner face of thesleeve 36 between the port 40 and the outer end ofthe sleeve. Two rings 62 preferably are employed and, like the rings 60, they are disposed with their adjacent end faces in contact with one another.

, The cylinder head 14 is of hollow construction to afford a cooling water containing space 64 which extends to the inner end of the cylinder head and which surrounds the combustion chamber 54, this space opening at the outer end of the cylinder head into a water containing cylinder. cover 66 the interior of which is in communication with the water jacket 12. By this construction the valve portion of the sleeve 36 is subjected to the influence of cooling water both externally and internally, and in order to prevent stagnation and assure circulation of water through the cylinder head, the space 64 is divided by partition walls, indicated by dotted lines at 68 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, extending from the top chamber 5 4 to the top of the cylinder head, said partition walls abutting complemental partition walls 70 extending inwardly from the cylinder cover 66. Thus,, water in its circulation from one side to the other of the jacket 12 is caused to flow inwardly through one side of the space 64 and outwardly through the other side of said space.

A hole 72 to receive a spark plug is formed in the top wall of the combustion chamber said wall, which extension projects at its outer end through the cylinder cover 66 and has threaded thereon a nut 76 which serves to hold the cylinder cover in assembly with the cylinder.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, it will be observed that the inner end portion of the port bushing 20 is counterbored as indicated at 76 and that said counterbore terminates in a shoulder disposed flush with the inner edge of the kerf 44. Disposed within this counterbore 76 is a series of sealing rings 78, alternate ones of which are of the expansion type and thereof the combustion\ mainingones of which are either of the solid or of the contracting type, as may be desired. These rings are arranged in end to end abutting relation between the shoulders formed by the counterbores 18 and 76, respectively, and, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the innermost of said rings,

which is eitherof the solid or of the contract- 84 extends from the inner end of the port bushing longitudinally thereof to a point near the outer end of the bushing where it merges into a short lateral or circumferentially extending portion 84 which portion in turn merges into a. second portion 84 which parallels the first mentioned longitudinally extending portion.

The inner end of the portion 84 of the channel 84 terminates short of the inner end of the port bushing and is disposed in alinement with a duct 86 in the cylinder 10 which is adapted for connection with a suitable source of suction, such as is provided by an ordinary rectifier, (not shown), connected with the intake manifold of the engine. As indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the ducts 86 of multiple cylinder engines provided with the present improvements, open into acommon manifold or header 88.

Formed through the wall of the port bushing 20 is a pair of small oil metering holes 90 which open at their outer ends into the channel 84 and which are spaced so as to aline once during each complete revolution of the sleeve 36 with the portions of the kerf 42 disposed, respectively, inwardly and outwardly of the port 40.

Our engine, which is of the four-cycletype, in which the sleeve 36 is geared to make one complete revolution for each two complete strokes or reciprocations of the piston 16, which is reciprocal within the sleeve 36, op-

erates as follows: As the piston moves inward on its lntake stroke, explosive gases are drawn into the combustion chamber 54 through the port which at this time alines with the ports 22 and 56. Upon completion of the intake stroke of the piston, and as the latter begins its outward stroke, rotation of the sleeve 36 results in the port 40 moving from registration with the ports 22 and 56 Y and blanking of said ports by a solid portion ning to open by the of the valve, so that continued outward movement of the piston results in the gases being compressed within the combustion chamber 54. As the piston reaches its limit of outward movement on its compression stroke or cycle the gases are exploded in conventional manner, and the piston is driven inward on its power stroke, the port 40 during this time bein blanked by the cylinder and cylinder hea Upon the piston approaching its limit of inward movement on its power stroke, and as it moves outward on its exhaust stroke, the port 40 moves into registration with the ports 24 and 58 to permit exhaust of the expended or burntgases, the exhaust ports becoming blanked and the intake ports begintime the piston again begirls to move inward, whereupon the foregoing operations are repeated.

A pump (not shown) operated by theengine, continuously draws oil from the crank case of the engine and delivers it under suitable pressure into the pinion housing 32. It will here be noted that the outer end of the sleeve boss 46 is grooved as indicated at 92, and that, if desired, the thrust rings 48 and 50 may likewise be provided with end grooves; also that the outer face of the sleeve 36 is provided with spiral oil grooves 94 extending in a direction to urge oil outwardly between the sleeve and the cylinder during rotation of the sleeve. By reason of this arrangement some of the oil delivered into the pinion housing 32 will efficiently lubricate the thrust rings 50 and the bearing member 52. The amount of oil which may escape between the bearing faces of the sleeve 36 and the member 52 into the crank case is considerably less than the amount of oil supplied to the pinion housing 32. Consequently, the pinion housing will become filled with oil and the gear 38 and the pinion 34 will be efiiciently lubricated. At the same time oil will be forced outwardly between the boss 46 and the adjacent face of the counterbore 30 to the thrust rings 48 and through the grooves 92 into the space I), filling said space outwardly as far as the rings 78. At this point the superimposed sealing rings 7 8 will impede the flow of oil and prevent it from flooding the combustion chamber. Also said rings will prevent combustion chamber pressures from forcing oil from the space I). The oil then will flow under the combined action of the oil pump pressure and suction in the header 88 through the channels 80 in the innermost of said sealing rings to the outer face of said ring where some of the oil will serve to lubricate the inner sealing rings 78 and also assist in sealing combustion chamber pressures. The oil then will flow through the channel 82 into the channel 84 and traverse the channel portions 84 and 84 and finally be delivered through the duct 86 into the header 88 from where it will be returned to the crank case.

By reason of the holes 90 lubricant will be delivered constantly to the outer face of the valve portion of the sleeve 36. These holes always are covered by the valve portion of the sleeve except when the kerf 42, during rotation of the sleeve, passes said holes. In this connection it will be observed that during operation of the engine the kerf 42 will pass the holes 90 at intake or suction cycle, at which instant the vacuum in the cylinder will be slightly higher than in the oil manifold or head 88, which is subject to intake manifold vacuum. Consequently, this instantaneous suction through the holes 90 in the direction of the combustion chamber will result, once during eachrevolution of the sleeve 36, in a charge of oil being drawn through the kerf 42 for the. lubrication of the sealing rings 60 and 62, the upper rings 78, and the adjacent faces of the valve portion of the sleeveand the cylinder head, the

amount of the charge being metered or de termined by the size of the holes 90.

When combustion occurs within the cham- I ber 54 the ports 56 and 58are blanked by porcooled, heat is radiated quickly therefrom.-

Also, when combustion occurs, the high pressure gases of explosion will'tend to escape outwardly between the valve and the innerend portion of the cylinder head, and through the ports 56 and 58 both outwardly and inwardly between the adjacent faces of the valve and the cylinder head. The sealing rings 60 and 62, however, effectively resist this escape of pressure, and .any pressure I which may by any chance escape to the outer face of the valve will be effectively stopped by the sealing rings'78 due to their superimposed relation and'to said series of rings being alternately of the expansion and of the solid or contractile type. Moreover, the

' rings 60 and 62, by their radial spring pressure against the flexible -trailing end portion of the valve, assist in maintaining a tight sealof the valve against the inner face of the port bushing 20, and in conjunction with the sealing effect of the rings 7 8 enable the area of the combustion chamber to be minimized and permitof operation of the engine under abutting relation, some of said nngs havlng relatively high compression.

- With respect to the rings 78, it is manifest 1 that any pressure to which the outermost ring is subjected, will be transmitted successively to the other of said rings, so thatthey will be forced tightly against one another and any I possibility of escape of pressure between them will be effectively eliminated.

To prevent rotation of the port bushing 20 within the cylinder, said bushing may be provided at its outer. edge with a lug 96 to be received in a recess (not shown) formed in the cylinder head.

At high engine speeds it is conceivable that due to centrifugal force set up byrotation of the sleeve 36, flow of-oil from the gear casing 32 into and through the space I; may be retarded to such an extent as to result in the "alve, the rings and the bushing receiving insuflicient oil. Therefore, in order to assure an ample supply of oil at all times to said parts, particularly at high engine speeds, we provide an oil supply passage 98 in the c linder opening into the counterbore 18 t ereof near the lower end of said counterbore. Also, we provide an opening 100 in the counterbored portion of the port bushing 20 for alinement with said passage 98, or we may provide in some other malmer for communication between said passage 98 and the space between the lowermost ring 78 and said rings port bushing, so that oil may be delivered directly to said space for flow through the channel 82 to lubricate the valve, rings and bushing in the manner aforesaid. Any suitable means for supplying oil under pressure through the passage 98 ma be provided. Inasmuch, however, as satis actory lubrication is obtained'at low engine speeds without direct supply of oil through a. passage such as the present passage 98, it is preferred ranged as to be capable of rapid assembly and disassembly, the working parts all are well sealed and cooled, and the lubricating system is quite simple in design, yet is highly eflicient in operation.

We claim 1. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having intake and exhaust ports, a rotary valve within said cylinder controlling said ports, a valve seat surrounding said valve, means for driving said valve, and a series of superlmposed sealing rings surrounding said valve and arranged in end to end an expansion spring tension radially so as to seal outwardly against said valve seat and others having a contractile spring tension radially so as to seal inwardly against said valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with a counterbore, a port bushing disposed in .said counterbore, a ro-' tary valve for controlling said ports seating against the inner face of said bushing, said bushin being counterbored, an sealing 'sposed' in the counterbore of said bushin and sealing against the outer face of said va ve;

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with intake and exhaust ports and counterbored at its outer end, a port bushing fitting into said counterbore, a rotary valve for controllingsaid ports seating against the inner face of said port bushing, and superimposed sealing rings disposed around said valve between an inner end portion of said port bushing and the shoulder formed by said counterbore.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a rotaryrvalve therein, a port'bushing surroundin said valve, and means for supplying lubrlcant through said port bushing to said valve. 1

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a rotary valve therein, a port bushing surrounding said valve, lubricant metering holes formed through said port bushing, and means maintaining a constant supply of lubricant to said lubricant metering holes during operation of the engine.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a rotary valve therein, a port bushing surrounding said valve, said port bushing being provided in its outer face with a lubricant conducting channel and further having lubricant metering holes formed therethrough and opening into said channel, and means for maintaining a flow of lubricant through said channel during operation of the engine.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, provided with intake and exhaust ports, aport bushing within said cylinder, a cylinder head extending into said port bushing and provided with, intake and exhaust ports alined with said cylinder ports, respectively, a rotary valve operating between said port bushing and said cylinder head, said valve being split by a kerf, said port bushing having lubricant metering holes formed therethrough, and means for supplying lubricant tosaid holes, said valve kerf being disposed to aline with said lubricant metering holes during the intake cycle of the engine.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with intake and exhaust ports, a port bushing within said cylinder, and a rotary valve within said port bushing, said port bushing being provided in its outer face with a U- haped lubricant conducting channel connected at one end with a source of lubricant supply and at its other end with a source of suction, said port bushing further havin lubricant metering holes leading from said c annel to the outer face of said valve.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a rotary sleeve therein formed at its outer end with a valve, a piston reciprocal within said sleeve, and a port bushing surrounding said valve, said port bushing having a lubricant conducting channel in its outer face in communication at one end with a lubricant containing space between said sleeve and said cylinder, said groove being in communication at its other end with a source of engine suction, said port bushing further having lubricant metering holes formed therethrough leading from said channel to said valve.

10. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a rotary sleeve therein formed at its outer end with a port, inwardly of said port with a circumferentially extending kerf, an with a longitudinal kerf extending inwardly and outwardly of said port, a port bushing surrounding said sleeve, said port bushing having oil metering holes formed therethrough inwardly and outwardly ofsaid port,

and means for conducting lubricant to said oil metering holes.

11. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder counterbored at its outer end and provided with intake and exhaust ports, a port bushing disposed within the counterbored portion of said cylinder, a rotary sleeve in said cylinder formed at its outer end with a valve seating against the inner face of said port bushing, said port bushing being counterbored at its inner end, superimposed sealing rings disposed between the shoulders formed by said counterbores, means providlng a lubricant passage past said sealing rings extending from a lubricant containing space between said sleeve and said cylinder to one end of a lubricant conducting channel formed in the outer face of said port bushing, said channel being connected with a source of suction, and said port bushing having lubricant metering holes formed therethrough for conducting lubricant from said channel to said valve.

12. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a sleeve rotatable therein, gears for driving said sleeve, a gear housing adapted to have lubricant supplied thereto under pressure, means for conducting lubricant from said gear housin to a lubricant receiving space between said sleeve and said cylinder, said sleeve being formed with a valve, a cylinder head extending into said valve, a bushing surrounding said valve, means for conducting lubricant from the space between said sleeve and said cylinder to the outer face of said bushing, and means for conducting lubricant from the outer face of said bushing to said valve.

13. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with intake and exhaust ports, a port bushing within said cylinder, and a rotary valve within said port bushing, said'port bushing being provided in its outer face with a lubricant conducting channel connected at one end with a source of lubricant supply and at its other end with a source of suction, said port bushing further having lubricant metering holes leading from said channel to the outer face of said valve.

14;. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with lateral intake and exhaust ports, a port bushing within said cylinder provided with lateral intake and exhaust ports alined with said cylinder ports, respectively, and a rotary valve within said port bushing seating against the inner face thereof, said port bushing having a lubricant conducting channel in its outer face extending bed yond the inner and outer ends of said ports and connected at one end with a source of lubricant supply and at its other end with a source of suction, said port bushing further having a pair of lubricant metering holes formed therethrough in alinement with said channel and di and outwardly sald ports.

In testimon signatures.

sposed, respectively, inwardly of the inner and outer ends of y whereof we hereunto aifix our 

